Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Aging Boomers Present New Challenges and Opportunities

The oldest of the 78 million people born from 1946 to 1964 turned 65 in 2011 brining in the first wave of aging babybommers. Because of the enormous size of the boomer generation, the number of senior adults will more than double between now and 2050, from 40 million to 89 million, creating a demand for specialized services. As huge wave pof baby boomers retire each year the demand for soring geriatric care increases. Already, it has proven it self in multiple dividends for facility owners such as assisted living facilities and adult day care centers.

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Medical Adult Day Care

The Medical economics, managed care, governmental cut-backs, each a catalyst for downsizing has created a climate of unprecedented financial pressures. Consequently, new alliances and strategies for growth are at the forefront. Emerging as a viable affordable health care alternative, adult day care is such an alliance.
Adult day care, a community-based program designed to meet the needs of functionally impaired adults through an individual plan of care, is composed of 5-8 hours of care/ programing including door-to-door transportation and lunch for adults 18 and over. It is a program designed to serve adults who may be physically impaired, who may have some form of dementia, and who may need special supervision, increased social opportunities, assistance with personal care or other activities of daily living.
Senior citizens, wheelchair bound or ambulatory, may not as yet require the services provided by a nursing home; a center very likely, will be all the support necessary for these individuals. Thus, adult day care meets the needs of the frail elderly and provides a cost efficient alternative to institutionalization.
Professional nurses can have a tremendous impact on society in adult medical day care. By daily evaluation of the frail elderly, nurses can recognize and interpret the signs of a potential medical problem and often prevent a medical emergency. Professional nursing is the basic premise upon which the cost saving centers are based; without which centers cannot function efficiently.
The financial insensitive to start one's own facility is excellent. States now provide a Medicaid Waiver which allows people to stay in their own homes; grant money and Veterans benefits are also available. Moreover, these programs can be enhanced by providing revenue producing ancillary services such as nursing services, geriatric nurse practitioners, medical care, rehabilitation, occupational, physical and speech therapies, family support, nutritional counseling, mental health services, medication reviews and case management for those senior citizens coping with multiple health problems. These services may be billed to Medicare. These programs reduce geriatric hospital stays and re-admissions by providing an additional discharge option.
This type of facility requires the least amount of "start-up" capital when compared to other health related facilities. Some adult day care centers were started in churches. This enabled these centers to have an initial client-base from the congregation. Thus, because of their low rent involvement their start-up capital was minimal.
The demand for these centers continues to grow. By the year 2020, it is estimated that our nation's elderly population will increase to over 53 million.
In this complex world, where our technologies may sometimes compromise our ideologies, there are some justifiable concerns over the quality and quantity of care being received by our frail elderly. Whereas, with adult medical day care, the frail elderly can obtain the medical and social assistance they require, and the cost savings pressures of managed care and downsizing may be satisfied.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

2012 MetLife Mature Market Study

The Metlife Mature Market Institute has released its annual national survey of charges for adult Day services, home care, nusring hoimes and assisted living. The study found that the national average daily rate for adult day care services is $70.00 per day, unchanged from 2011 after being $67 a day in 2009 and 2010. The median daily rate for adult day services nationally remained at $65 a day. The highest daily fees for adult day services were reported in Vermont at $141 per day, while the lowest daily fees were reported in Montgomery, Alabama at $26 per day.

Home Health aides rates were unchanged at $21, although homemaker rates increased by 5.3% to $20. per hour from $19 per hour in 2011.


National average rates for a private nursing home room increased 3.8% to $248 daily from $239 daily in 2011. Assisted Living basse rate rose by 2.1% to $3,550 per month from $3,477 in 2011.